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The critical care nurse is preparing to initiate an infusion of a vasoactive medication to a patient in shock. The nurse knows that vasoactive medications are given in all forms of shock. What is the primary goal of this aspect of treatment?
- A. To prevent the formation of infarcts of emboli
- B. To limit stroke volume and cardiac output
- C. To prevent pulmonary and peripheral edema
- D. To maintain adequate mean arterial pressure
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Vasoactive medications can be administered in all forms of shock to improve the patients hemodynamic stability when fluid therapy alone cannot maintain adequate MAP. Specific medications are selected to correct the particular hemodynamic alteration that is impeding cardiac output. These medications help increase the strength of myocardial contractility, regulate the heart rate, reduce myocardial resistance, and initiate vasoconstriction. They are not specifically used to prevent emboli, edema, or infarcts.
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The nurse is caring for a patient in the ICU who has been diagnosed with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). The nurses plan of care should include which of the following interventions?
- A. Encouraging the family to stay hopeful and educating them to the fact that, in nearly all cases, the prognosis is good
- B. Encouraging the family to leave the hospital and to take time for themselves as acute care of MODS patients may last for several months
- C. Promoting communication with the patient and family along with addressing end-of-life issues
- D. Discussing organ donation on a number of different occasions to allow the family time to adjust to the idea
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Promoting communication with the patient and family is a critical role of the nurse with a patient in progressive shock. It is also important that the health care team address end-of-life decisions to ensure that supportive therapies are congruent with the patients wishes. Many cases of MODS result in death and the life expectancy of patients with MODS is usually measured in hours and possibly days, but not in months. Organ donation should be offered as an option on one occasion, and then allow the family time to discuss and return to the health care providers with an answer following the death of the patient.
When circulatory shock occurs, there is massive vasodilation causing pooling of the blood in the periphery of the body. An ICU nurse caring for a patient in circulatory shock should know that the pooling of blood in the periphery leads to what pathophysiological effect?
- A. Increased stroke volume
- B. Increased cardiac output
- C. Decreased heart rate
- D. Decreased venous return
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Pooling of blood in the periphery results in decreased venous return. Decreased venous return results in decreased stroke volume and decreased cardiac output. Decreased cardiac output, in turn, causes decreased blood pressure and, ultimately, decreased tissue perfusion. Heart rate increases in an attempt to meet the demands of the body.
The nurse is caring for a patient admitted with cardiogenic shock. The patient is experiencing chest pain and there is an order for the administration of morphine. In addition to pain control, what is the main rationale for administering morphine to this patient?
- A. It promotes coping and slows catecholamine release.
- B. It stimulates the patient so he or she is more alert.
- C. It decreases gastric secretions.
- D. It dilates the blood vessels.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: For patients experiencing chest pain, morphine is the drug of choice because it dilates the blood vessels and controls the patients anxiety. Morphine would not be ordered to promote coping or to stimulate the patient. The rationale behind using morphine would not be to decrease gastric secretions.
An adult patient has survived an episode of shock and will be discharged home to finish the recovery phase of his disease process. The home health nurse plays an integral part in monitoring this patient. What aspect of his care should be prioritized by the home health nurse?
- A. Providing supervision to home health aides in providing necessary patient care
- B. Assisting the patient and family to identify and mobilize community resources
- C. Providing ongoing medical care during the familys rehabilitation phase
- D. Reinforcing the importance of continuous assessment with the family
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The home care nurse reinforces the importance of continuing medical care and helps the patient and family identify and mobilize community resources. The home health nurse is part of a team that provides patient care in the home. The nurse does not directly supervise home health aides. The nurse provides nursing care to both the patient and family, not just the family. The nurse performs continuous and ongoing assessment of the patient; he or she does not just reinforce the importance of that assessment.
In all types of shock, nutritional demands increase rapidly as the body depletes its stores of glycogen. Enteral nutrition is the preferred method of meeting these increasing energy demands. What is the basis for enteral nutrition being the preferred method of meeting the bodys needs?
- A. It slows the proliferation of bacteria and viruses during shock.
- B. It decreases the energy expended through the functioning of the GI system.
- C. It assists in expanding the intravascular volume of the body.
- D. It promotes GI function through direct exposure to nutrients.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Parenteral or enteral nutritional support should be initiated as soon as possible. Enteral nutrition is preferred, promoting GI function through direct exposure to nutrients and limiting infectious complications associated with parenteral feeding. Enteral feeding does not decrease the proliferation of microorganisms or the amount of energy expended through the functioning of the GI system and it does not assist in expanding the intravascular volume of the body.